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With a gentle clink of china, Jatheryn set his cup of black tea down on its saucer. He had never particularly enjoyed tea, but a proper Vaelonese breakfast simply wasn't complete without it. After finishing an entire bottle of rose wine between himself and his grandfather during the Crowning Day ball last night, Jatheryn would have been just as happy to settle for a simple glass of water. The cheerful twittering of finches in the garden outside was just a tad too loud to Jatheryn's hyper-sensitive hearing, and he winced in the direction of the sunny patio.
"Personally, I thought Lady Kilgorin's snub of that Erendor girl was entirely uncalled for," Rosarin was saying in her usual gravelly croak. As always, the servants were keeping her drink bottomless. "Just because the Kilgorins have produced yet another Obad in this generation does not give them the right to impugn the royal stewards."
"Everyone impugns the Erendors."
Randir, Tyene's husband, shrugged, reaching past Jatheryn for the sliced grapefruit. His strawberry-blonde hair and sapphire-blue eyes easily marked him as a Shakian by birth—traits which both of his and Tyene's sons had inherited.
Rosarin huffed. "Yes, well, Goran has been very fortunate that the Amenthis line has remained unbroken for nigh on a century, even if the Erendors have not."
"Did you see Gendrew and Alais prancing around like a pair of peacocks last night?" Tyene exclaimed. The morning sunlight in the dining room caught the early signs of crows' feet around her dark eyes. "You'd think they were the ones pregnant with an Amenthis heir!"
"In a removed sort of way, they are, since Gwynnis is their daughter." Awenis couldn't help but giggle. "I wonder if this time it will be a princess?"
Jalborn frowned slightly at Tyene, un-tucking the embroidered napkin from his collar and placing it beside his cleared breakfast plate. A servant sprang forward to take the used dishes away to the kitchen, making way for the head of the Saurivic family to properly savor his tea.
"Gendrew is proud of his grandchildren, Prince Hithon and the prince or princess to be. What grandfather would not be? I certainly am."
All four of the Saurivic youths at the table grinned, taking their grandfather's words to heart as though they were privately addressed to each of them. Jatheryn in particular treasured Jalborn's praise as if it were a rare jewel, tucking it away in his secret treasure trove of kind words and friendly exchanges.
Thirteen-year-old Myles decided to spoil the moment in typical youngest-cousin fashion. Blue eyes sparkling with gleeful mischief overtop of his button nose, Myles called across the table at Awenis.
"Lord Gendrew wasn't the only one prancing at the ball. Awenis, you danced an awful lot with Darenel Tremaris. Did he keep asking you, or did you keep asking him?"
Jatheryn waited for Awenis to dissolve in a mess of flushed cheeks and stammered protests, as she always did when confronted with her social escapades. He was surprised when Awenis casually adjusted the sleeve of her powder-blue summer gown, a dreamy half-smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Both, and we had a lovely time. He's a very good dancer, and his style fits mine wonderfully well. You know what I mean, Mother; how when I first started dancing lessons you told me that you can tell when you've found an ideal partner?"
"I do."
Rosarin's smile was rather tighter than usual. She and Jahaelis exchanged a look that made Jatheryn wonder. Awenis didn't seem to notice or care, and went back to cheerfully sprinkling sugar on her strawberries.
Tyene gave her son a light rap on the back of his hand with her long, thin fingers.
"Myles, you were purposely trying to embarrass Awenis with such a question! Apologize to your cousin, and mind yourself."
The youngest Saurivic boy lowered his head. "I am sorry Awenis, I didn't mean to embarrass you," he mumbled, sounding very contrite.
Jatheryn and everyone else knew that Myles's apologies were about as sincere as a trick mirror at the WinterLight Carnival. Part of being the youngest was the uncanny ability to get off lightly for any transgression. As the oldest, Jatheryn couldn't imagine what that might be like.
"That does remind me though..." Jahaelis looked straight at Jatheryn.
Curses, Jatheryn thought. He had half-hoped he might get lucky this morning. Not so, apparently.
"Did you make the acquaintance of Kendris Farakirn last night, as I asked you to?"
The first trick to lying was never to hesitate. The second was to give just enough detail to make the lie convincing, without giving enough to trap yourself if asked to reconfirm later. Jatheryn nodded. He purposely avoided Jalborn's questioning gaze though. Lying to his parents was easily and often done, lying to his grandfather, not so much.
"Yes, after the third waltz. We discussed the minstrels."
"Indeed?" Jahaelis pressed for more details.
Thinking quickly, Jatheryn nodded again. "I asked her what she thought of their troupe, and she said that they would sound ever so much better if they were to drop the second lute and become a sextet instead. We agreed that the two lutes together conflict with one another, especially with an alto singer for the harmony."
Randir raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "It sounds to me like you were listening more closely to the musicians than to the girl."
"You're lucky she didn't cuff you for not paying proper attention to her coz, or even dump her drink on you!"
Taevrin, Tyene, and Randir's oldest laughed and nudged Jatheryn's foot under the table. His voice was just now starting to break, and that put together with his peach-fuzz mustache and gangly, legs made Taevrin the very image of male puberty. Jatheryn was counting the days until the oily skin of adolescence came for Taevrin. Maybe that would take some of the wind out of his gregarious cousin's sails.
At the head of the table Jalborn cleared his throat, requesting and immediately receiving the attention of the rest of the Saurivics.
"I think we have adequately dissected last night to the fullest by now, time to focus on the day at hand. Jahaelis, Tyene, would you both join me in the study? There are some matters of bookkeeping that we ought to address."
"Of course, Father." Tyene stood, smoothing back her velvet skirt. "Randir, would you see to it that the boys get to their fitting appointment this morning for their new boots?"
Jahaelis was just about to rise as well, when Awenis seemed to recall something.
"Oh! I almost forgot to ask, Mother, Father, may I go out to the Rainbow Gardens this morning? Bythnaryn, Trianne, and I made plans at the ball last night."
"You may, but try to be home before mid-afternoon. You have a singing lesson with your tutor at four o'clock."
Jahaelis straightened his tunic, smoothing away the invisible wrinkles which nobody else saw. From the looks of things, Jatheryn wasn't the only one in the Saurivic household who dyed his hair. All of yesterday's hints of grey seemed to have vanished.
With an expectant smile, Awenis turned to Jatheryn. "Will you come with us? The sun is so beautiful this morning; imagine what the Gardens will be like!"
Immediately Jatheryn's stomach turned over and gave a twist. He caught his mother's eye though, and faked a rather pitiful attempt at an enthusiastic smile.
"I would be glad to. When do we leave?"
"As soon as Trianne and Bythnaryn arrive, which should be any minute. Meet me at the front entrance in ten minutes?"
Jatheryn nodded weakly, trying to ignore the clammy sweat gathering on his palms. He couldn't explain why, but going out into the city always gave him anxiety. Maybe it was the sheer multitude of eyes that inevitably fell upon him out there.
Standing at the front entrance with his sister a few minutes later, Jatheryn still felt the roiling of his nerves. When Awenis came downstairs a look of pure contrition was written all over her pretty face.
"Oh Jath, I am sorry." Awenis only used her childhood nickname for Jatheryn in particularly close moments. "I forgot that you don't like going out."
"It's not going out that I don't like, it's being out." When Awenis cocked her head, bird-like, in confusion, Jatheryn smiled again, sincerely this time. "Do not be sorry, I'm glad you want me along with your friends."
"Still, I did not mean to put you in a position with Mother."
Jatheryn shrugged. "I am always in a position with Mother." Seeking to change the subject, he cast about for a topic. "You look very nice for a day out with the girls. Are those the earrings that Grandmother Saurivic left to you?"
Awenis stroked one of the blue teardrops dangling from her ears; stones mined from the northern reaches of The Teeth.
"Better I wear them every once in a while than leave them gathering dust in my jewel box, don't you think?"
"I suppose so. Ah, I think I see your friends now."
Figures moved outside, visible only as colored splotches on the other side of the mottled glass blocks bordering the front door. Sure enough, less than a moment later the peal of a dozen bells echoed throughout the whole of the estate. A servant immediately appeared to answer the call, but Awenis already had the door halfway open.
Bythnaryn Kilgorin and Trianne Belryn greeted Awenis with hugs and kisses to their fingertips. Bythnaryn, the youngest of the trio at seventeen, grinned and wound a chestnut curl around her finger. Her eyelids glittered from beneath a sheen of sparkling powder. The trend was brand new; Bythnaryn never missed a chance to be on the vanguard of fashion.
Unlike the willowy Bythnaryn, Trianne was so short that Awenis had to bend over to hug her. What the pixie-like girl lacked in height she made up for twice over in sheer wit. Women three times Trianne's age had been skewed on the end of her rapier barbs. Gazing up at Awenis through long, curly black lashes, Trianne smirked.
"You look like you're going out to another ball today instead of the Rainbow Gardens. Not holding out on a private invitation on us, are you?"
"I would never!" Awenis protested with a laugh, touching her fingertips to Trianne's. Then, looping her arm through Jatheryn's, she pulled him out onto the sunlit stoop. "Is it alright if Jatheryn comes with us? I invited him along today. I have a feeling the Gardens will be a sight not to miss."
"Of course."
Trianne and Bythnaryn demurred with curtsies and polite smiles. Jatheryn could see that the warmth of their exchanges with Awenis was no longer in their eyes. They were younger daughters of middle-ranked families though, and would never dare insult the heir to the Saurivic name. Steeling himself for a day among the public of Vaelona, Jatheryn let Awenis lead him by the hand down the drive and out into the city.
OoOoO
The walk to the Rainbow Gardens was not long, and Jatheryn gave thanks that the early hour meant relatively empty streets. The scent of roses fanned out from balconies on either side, the heartfelt redness of their blooms only making their aroma sweeter. Road cleaners were just finishing their work, sweeping away any dirt and debris from the cobblestones to prepare Vaelona for another day. The creamy whiteness of the buildings was tempered by falls of ivy here and there, adding a sense of age to Goran's most treasured city. Upon every wrought-iron gate hung a circle twisted into two; the symbol of eternity. It was a mark well known and widely used in Vaelona. Eternity meant different things to each person, but by and large it represented wishes for the endurance of all things good and beautiful.
Still with Jatheryn's arm tucked in the crook of hers, Awenis chatted gaily with Trianne and Bythnaryn as they walked. The three were like a flock of sparrows, their chirps and twitters rising and falling with the conversation. By and large the talk centered on their own social circles, with which Jatheryn was unfamiliar. Occasionally Awenis would prompt Jatheryn for his input on this spat or that flirtation. Trying to offer insights on relationships for which he had no context was no easy feat, especially for an elder brother. Still, the time passed quickly, and soon they found themselves at the gates of the Rainbow Gardens.
Feeling somewhat emboldened by the pleasantness of the walk there, Jatheryn insisted on paying for admission for Trianne and Bythnaryn, as well as himself and Awenis. Trianne had tried to protest, but Awenis quelled her refusals with cheerful remarks about having extra money for feeding the birds later.
The inside of the Rainbow Gardens was a delight of colors to put any Vaelonese ball to shame. The gardens were housed in a giant greenhouse, easily as wide and twice as tall as the Saurivic estate main household. Most of the panes of glass in the greenhouse walls were clear, but every so many panes a stained- glass pattern was strategically placed. These cast ribbons of sea blue, rosy pink, majestic purple, and vivid orange across the leaves of the many plants housed within.
These windows were not the only sources of color in the Rainbow Gardens. Many of the exotic trees and fronds dangled layered bundles of glass prisms from their branches. These caught the light from outside and sent it dancing everywhere in little sparks of red, yellow, and indigo, like diamonds hanging in midair. Tiny birds brought from southern Goran darted this way and that, their wings moving so quickly they confounded the eye. Their feathers shone iridescent, making even the living residents of the Rainbow Gardens part of its visual symphony.
Awenis clapped her hands together in delight. "See Jatheryn, I told you this would be worth seeing!"
"You were right." Jatheryn smiled. A prism hanging from a nearby blue jacaranda tree spun lazily, throwing a tiny rainbow across Awenis' hair.
Bythnaryn took Awenis's hand and pulled her down the two steps into the greenhouse.
"Come Awenis, I hear Jain and Ashlyn found a hummingbird nest when they were here last week. Come and let's find it!"
Jatheryn trailed along after the three girls, content to let them dart this way and that among the gardens. The warm, humid air was a little stifling in his fitted doublet and shirt, but he enjoyed the scent of a thousand exotic plants. The Rainbow Gardens were not exceptionally crowded. Still, Jatheryn obeyed his lifelong impulse to stay on the edges.
Whenever he passed another person he nodded politely and continued on his meandering way. Sometimes, if they were particularly quick witted, the other person would recognize Jatheryn right away and return the silent acknowledgment. More than once it took a brief double-take for the approaching individual to remember that Jatheryn was a Saurivic and employ their manners. The roiling, clammy sensation that had come over Jatheryn back at home never entirely went away, but the beauty of the Rainbow Gardens kept it manageable.
Rounding a corner at the far end of the greenhouse, Jatheryn spotted Awenis. Her robin's egg blue dress and corn-silk hair stood out against the deep green of the ferns around her. She walked slowly, intent on the row of fronds and orchids that separated her from the other side of the walkway. The low heels of her slippers clicked softly against the slate walkway, echoing throughout the Rainbow Gardens. Somewhere a fountain of crystal clear water trickled.
Reaching out a pale hand, Awenis brushed at the leaves with her fingertips. Jatheryn wondered if she were searching for the hummingbird nest. Then, reaching the far end of the row, she ducked around and vanished from view. Jatheryn thought he heard a giggle, or was it the fountain?
The walkway split into two, and Jatheryn let it take him back toward the center of the Rainbow Gardens. He found Trianne and Bythnaryn there, sitting on a bench around the central fountain. The two girls acknowledged his arrival with quick nods, then went back to their gossip.
There was an empty bench a few feet away, which Jatheryn settled into. The water droplets falling from the mouth of the stone sea serpent in the fountain sparkled like precious jewels in midair. Jatheryn watched their mesmerizing fall for a time.
Small feet clapped against the floor nearby, followed by a delighted squeal. Jatheryn shifted on his bench to find a little boy not five years old chasing after a hummingbird nearby. The child caught site of Jatheryn and was immediately distracted from the chase. With wide eyes, the toddler pointed at him.
"You're white," the little boy declared.
It was an oddly refreshing way to hear himself described. With a friendly smile, Jatheryn leant toward the child.
"Yes I am. Do you think it looks strange?"
Rather than answer, the child approached the bench where Jatheryn sat. His large green eyes stared in fascination at Jatheryn's colorless hair.
"Can I touch?" the boy asked, his hand already reaching up.
"You may, if you like." Jatheryn slid down toward the end of the bench and bent closer. The little boy was just about to grasp a strand when a woman's voice called out.
"Lucien, come away!"
Surprised, Jatheryn jerked. When he looked up he heard a gasp of recognition. The boy's mother was already hastily curtsying.
"Ah, my apologies Lord Jatheryn. I do hope my son was not bothering you at your leisure."
The apology rang rather hollow when the woman quickly drew her son to her. The little boy was unhappy at having been pulled away from his new discovery, and pouted out his lower lip. Aware of Trianne and Bythnaryn's eyes on him, Jatheryn had little choice but to play along.
"Not at all, not at all. I hope you enjoy the Rainbow Gardens, they are very pleasant this morning."
"We will, thank you."
The woman curtsied again and hurried her son along. Jatheryn watched them go, trying to smile when the little boy glanced back over his shoulder as he was shooed away. Trianne and Bythnaryn went back to their chatter, and Jatheryn was left alone once again to watch the fountain.
A familiar clicking of shoes told Jatheryn when Awenis finally found them. She was flushed, her lips and cheeks looking pink even beneath her makeup. A happy smile seemed to have found its way onto her face and permanently etched itself there.
"Ah, there you three are!" Awenis exclaimed, claiming a seat on the bench between Trianne and Bythnaryn. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"You were the one missing Awenis, not us." Trianne rolled her eyes.
"We found the nest, over on the east side of the gardens." Bythnaryn pointed, fluttering her glittering eyelids. "What were you looking for, so far in the north corner?"
"Oh...nothing in particular. I was just wandering."
Jatheryn thought Awenis looked awfully pleased about just wandering around, even if they were in as beautiful a place as the Rainbow Gardens. The three girls chattered for a short while longer before they all rose and headed for the main entrance.
More people were starting to fill the greenhouse as the day ripened, and Jatheryn was growing more and more eager to head home. A group of young noblemen slid ahead of them on the way out, their cheerful banter echoing in the doorway. One of them actually greeted Jatheryn as he passed, nearly causing Jatheryn to miss a step. Both pleasantly surprised and somewhat taken aback, Jatheryn returned Darenel Tremaris' wishes for a beautiful day.
Happy to have been proven wrong at the last in his assumptions for this outing, Jatheryn hardly noticed the walk home. Another moment to add to his private treasure trove of greetings, exchanges, and smiles.
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